Rajmash (red kidney beans) from Bhaderwah and Ramban Sulai honey of Jammu and Kashmir have now received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag through the support of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), while three more products of the Union Territory are in the final stages of getting the GI tag, said an official on Tuesday.

Premium Bhaderwah rajmash of Jammu is a red kidney bean that is smaller and distinct in texture. It has a sweet nuttier taste and is used to make a lot of delicious recipes. This rajmash is grown as an intercrop with maize in Chinta Valley of Doda district. Sulai honey, meanwhile is a premium and exotic variety of honey in Ramban. Known for its taste across the globe, this honey is extracted from Sulai plants grown on the Himalayas of Ramban, Doda.

Earlier in March this year, Basohli painting of Kathua, and Ladakh wood carving got the GI tag. In August, Chikri woodcraft from Rajouri, and Mushqbudji rice from Anantnag district received the GI tag.

NABARD general manager Anamika said, 'GI is a form of intellectual property right that identifies goods originating from a specific geographical location and having a distinct nature, quality and characteristics linked to that location.'

'The process for the GI tagging of nine products was started by NABARD in consultation with and support from the Department of Handicrafts and Handloom and Department of Agriculture in December 2020, during the difficult times of Covid,' she said, adding, 'The GI tags have now finally been granted to these two products after a long legal process. In total, six products have been granted GI tags with NABARD support in J&K and Ladakh.'

 

'With GI tagging, unauthorised use of these registered GI goods by third parties is prevented and it will boost exports and promote their brands at the international level, thereby promoting economic prosperity of producers and related stakeholders including contribution to GDP of the country,' Anamika added.

The government has clarified exporters who have paid the export duty before the issue of notification on the ban on rice exports on July 20 will be allowed to ship that consignment. On July 20, the government banned exports of non-basmati white rice to boost domestic supply.

 

While notifying this ban decision, the DGFT had specified about certain consignments which can be exported.

 

In 'relaxation' of DGFT's notification dated July 20, 'export of non-basmati white rice is allowed when export duty is paid before 21:57:01 hours on July 20, 2023,' the directorate has said in a notification dated August 29.

 

It added that if the consignment has been handed over to the customs before 21:57:01 hours on July 20 and is registered in customs system for exportation before this specified time or is registered in the electronic systems of the concerned custodian of the customs station with verifiable evidence of date and time, those consignments are allowed up to October 30.

India on Wednesday allowed export of non-basmati white rice to Bhutan, Mauritius and Singapore, and allocated export quotas for the kitchen staple.

 

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, in a notification, said that exports of 79,000 metric tons of non-basmati white rice would be allowed to Bhutan, 50,000 tons to Singapore and 14,000 tons to Mauritius.

 

'Export of non-Basmati white rice…to Bhutan, Mauritius and Singapore is notified,' the DGFT said in a notification.

 

Last month, India prohibited the export of non-basmati white rice but said that exports will be allowed on the basis of permission granted by the government to other countries to meet their food security needs and based on the request of their governments.

 

The exports have been permitted through National Cooperative Exports Limited.

 

India exported $2.2 billion of non-Basmati white rice in FY23 of which $87 million worth of the staple was shipped to Nepal and $38 million to Singapore.

A meeting between Ministers for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar and Minister for Trade & Export Growth, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Biosecurity, Minister for Land Information and Minister for Rural Communities of New Zealand Shri Damien O’Connor was held here today. Both the leaders reiterated their commitments to work together in strengthening the agricultural cooperation and collaboration between the two countries.

 

Welcoming the New Zealand Minister and his delegation, Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare mentioned about the importance of relations between India and New Zealand and its steady progress. He highlighted the resumption of Joint Trade Committee after a gap of 14 years and initiation of discussions on market access issues for agricultural products under its framework. He also thanked the New Zealand Minister for granting market access to Indian pomegranate arils and lifting suspension on import of Mangoes from MSAMB VHT facility in India.

 

Shri Tomar informed the New Zealand Minister about India’s initiatives in celebrating the year 2023 as International Years of Millet and sought their cooperation in promoting the health and other benefits of Millets. Both Ministers emphasised the potential of the partnership envisaged in the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) being finalized between the two countries for overall development of Horticulture.

 

The Ministers assured each other of their commitments towards maintaining quality and safety of the agricultural commodities being traded between the two countries and resolved to continuing working on phytosanitary measures and systems. The Ministers also discussed the importance of developing a sustainable and climate resilient agricultural system. The New Zealand Minister invited India to join the Global Research Alliance which is an alliance of 67 countries for sharing researches on mitigation of climate change impacts on agriculture.

A significant growth of startups in the millet sector has turned the attention of the highest levels of Government to making the millet movement a mass movement in India and globally. Engagement of younger individuals and innovation from large retail organisations have sparked a vibrant startup movement for promoting millets with India witnessing the emergence of more than 80 startups in the millet sector within the past year and a half, responsible for developing well-packaged products.

The nation’s culinary history bears witness to millets being extensively used across all cultures, states, and cuisines in India before being overshadowed by rice and wheat. Millet is also being associated with environmental responsibility, as a low environmental impact grain, especially concerning water consumption. Khader Vali, known as the Millet Man of India points to the sustainable cultivation of millets, which requires minimal water.

 

A new FICCI PwC Knowledge Report on propelling India’s millet sector towards a sustainable future, outlines the policy implications for the next 10 to 15 years, production aspects, awareness creation, innovation, and market development for millets. The report emphasises the need to create both domestic and international demand for millets given their role in ushering in economic prosperity along and proposes ways to achieve these goals. To mainstream millets and bringing the 'Shree Anna' to every plate, the report proposes a four-pronged strategy centred on production enhancement interventions which entail crop and varietal improvements. It calls for concerted efforts on value-added product development, innovations in production and processing technologies and holistic policy support for millet promotion.

Shashi Kant Singh, Partner at PwC India, prioritises awareness creation as a key aspect of the proposed strategy in the report. 'The report highlights the importance of mainstreaming millets and prioritising the interests of cultivators, consumers, and investors alike,' says Singh. The third area of action is innovations for increasing the area under millet cultivation along with dedicated product development endeavours. This would be helpful in increasing consumption. 'Demand generation through public-private partnership models and global initiatives would be helpful in the long run to sustain the fervour,' adds Singh. Acknowledging the significant work done by the government in promoting millets, Singh also suggests that this can well be a jewel in India’s soft power diplomacy.

There are however formidable challenges as highlighted by the report. In most production areas in India, millets are still cultivated using indigenous traditional knowledge (ITK) by smallholder farmers who already lack resources for the adoption of farm mechanisation for millet cultivation. The core reason for this is not the lack of modern millet production technologies but farmers either lacking the awareness or accessibility to those innovations. Another obstacle that needs to be addressed is the short shelf life of processed millets. While prepared meals quickly go rancid, millet flour can only be stored for very short durations. This raises storage concerns and renders processed products more prone to pest infestation.

Going ahead, the Government is looking to drive continuous efforts to provide guidance and support to small entrepreneurs and startups in the millet area, recognising the need for handholding rather than focusing solely on large export houses. There is also focus on sustaining the momentum after the launch of the campaign to take it to the next level. Looking further, President of TAFE, TR Kesavan advocates for integrating millets into the regular diet given its nutritional value and climatic resilience and income generation for farmers. To ensure millets receive conscious attention from all stakeholders to transform them into an attractive and profitable crop for millet-growing farmers, Kesavan feels the concept of farmer producer organisations (FPOs) must be intensified, functioning as the cornerstone of this transformation. By seamlessly integrating FPOs with forward and backward linkages, empowering millet FPOs with knowledge and best agricultural practices, a robust supply chain can be forged that spans from the farm to the market. This has the potential to revolutionise the agricultural landscape, adds Kesavan.

Every year, thousands of tourists from the northern districts of the State journey through Wayanad to Karnataka to enjoy the beauty of flower gardens set up on the Kerala-Karnataka border. However, civic bodies, farmers groups, and other organisations have set up their own gardens in the district this year to tap the tourism potential during the Onam holidays.

 

While the owners of the marigold gardens in Karnataka are charging Rs.50 to Rs.100 as entry fee for a person for a photography session, the project at Sulthan Bathery are charging only Rs.20 per person.

While the owners of the marigold gardens in Karnataka are charging Rs.50 to Rs.100 as entry fee for a person for a photography session, the project at Sulthan Bathery are charging only Rs.20 per person. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

 

An innovative floriculture project of the Sulthan Bathery Municipality aimed at attracting tourists to the town, known for its cleanliness, opened to visitors on Friday.

 

The project was launched in June in association with the Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) under the civic body. The initiative, launched as part of the Happy Happy Sulthan Bathery project, envisages popularising the 'happy culture' of the civic body across the State.

 

The HKS members have planted three types of marigold plants on two acres of land near Sulthan Bathery town. They have also planted other flowering plants such as sunflowers and gomphrena, says T.K. Ramesh, chairman, Sulthan Bathery Municipality.

 

The civic body has spent Rs.3 lakh for the project and the organisers anticipate to recoup the amount in a couple of weeks.

 

While the owners of the marigold gardens in Karnataka are charging Rs.50 to Rs.100 as entry fee for a person for a photography session, we are charging only Rs.20 per person, he said.

 

As the project is not a profit-making venture, the income generated from it would be disbursed among the HKS members, who keep the town clean, he added.

 

We are planning to launch cultural activities at the venue in connection with Onam from Sunday, Mr. Ramesh said.

 

A group of tribal women at Panappady in Noolpuzha grama panchayat have also set up a garden nearly 100-metres away from the Kozhikode-Kollegal National Highway 766. They have set the garden on half an acre of rented land. As many as 5,000 marigold plants blooming in yellow and orange would be a visual treat to visitors.

 

They have launched the pilot project with financial assistance from the Tribal Development department under the Haritarashmi project implemented through the Centre for Management Development (CMD).

 

The project aims at attracting tribal people to farming after imparting its basics.

 

'We have sold nearly 300 kg of marigold flowers when 30% of harvest has been completed. The price varies from Rs.80 to Rs.150 a kg depending on the market rate,' Anu Alfonsa, project officer, CMD said.

 

Kottathara grama panchayat has also set up a garden on half an acre of land apart from many a farmer who tried their luck in floriculture during the season.

A meeting between Ministers for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar and Minister for Trade & Export Growth, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Biosecurity, Minister for Land Information and Minister for Rural Communities of New Zealand Shri Damien O’Connor was held here today. Both the leaders reiterated their commitments to work together in strengthening the agricultural cooperation and collaboration between the two countries.

 

A meeting between Ministers for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar and Minister for Trade & Export Growth, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Biosecurity, Minister for Land Information and Minister for Rural Communities of New Zealand Shri Damien O’Connor was held here today. Both the leaders reiterated their commitments to work together in strengthening the agricultural cooperation and collaboration between the two countries.

 

Shri Tomar informed the New Zealand Minister about India’s initiatives in celebrating the year 2023 as International Years of Millet and sought their cooperation in promoting the health and other benefits of Millets. Both Ministers emphasised the potential of the partnership envisaged in the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) being finalized between the two countries for overall development of Horticulture.

 

The Ministers assured each other of their commitments towards maintaining quality and safety of the agricultural commodities being traded between the two countries and resolved to continuing working on phytosanitary measures and systems. The Ministers also discussed the importance of developing a sustainable and climate resilient agricultural system. The New Zealand Minister invited India to join the Global Research Alliance which is an alliance of 67 countries for sharing researches on mitigation of climate change impacts on agriculture.

 

India on Tuesday said it has decided to allow export of rice to Singapore in view of the special relationship between the two countries. Last month, India announced a ban on export of all non-basmati white rice that resulted in sharp increase in global rice prices.

 

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said formal orders allowing export of rice to Singapore will be issued shortly.

 

'India and Singapore enjoy a very close strategic partnership, characterised by shared interests, close economic ties and strong people to people connect,' he said.

 

'In view of this special relationship, India has decided to allow export of rice to meet the food security requirements of Singapore,' Bagchi said.

 

The MEA spokesperson said this while responding to media queries on export of rice to Singapore.

 

'Formal orders in this regard will be issued shortly,' he said.

Andhra Pradesh exported goods worth 1.59 lakh crore in 2022-23, emerging as the sixth largest state of the country in terms of the value of exports. The state reported a near 11% increase in the volume of foreign trade in 2022-23 compared to its 1.43 lakh crore in 2021-22. AP contributed to about 5% of the total exports of the country in the last fiscal.

 

According to the official statistics, Visakhapatnam topped all the districts with about 48,608 crore worth exports in 2022-23, followed by East Godavari (31,000 crore). From organic/inorganic chemicals, anti-cancer drugs, and calcined petroleum coke in Visakhapatnam district to shrimp and other marine products and rice in East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh is exporting about 2,100 products to nearly 190 countries. For instance, Anantapur exported about 11,000 crore worth cars, car engines, and other vehicle accessories in 2022-23.

 

Omeprazole and lansoprazole drugs worth 133 crore were exported from Srikakulam in the last fiscal. The same district was involved in amoxicillin and other antibiotic foreign trade to the tune of 300 crore. Vizianagaram on its part exported maize starch, shrimp, ferro manganese, etc.

 

Even though on a small scale, several districts are exporting handicraft products, textiles, ceramic products and glassware, leather products, spices, iron products, etc. to various countries. Having major ports of the state, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari generally make it to the list of top 25 districts of the country in terms of export share, every year. While Visakhapatnam contributes to about 1.5% of the country’s total exports, Kakinada on its part accounts for about 1% of the total foreign trade. Visakhapatnam occupied 15th place in the country in 2021-22, whereas East Godavari made it to the 24th position.

 

Of the 10,916 crore worth exports done from Guntur district in 2022-23, tobacco took the lion’s share in the value of exported goods.

Even though the state stood in sixth place in exports, AP was limited to eighth place in the recent ‘export preparedness index’ prepared by Niti Aayog. As per the report, the state can improve its business ecosystem to match its policy and export ecosystem.

 

'Improving infrastructure would help improve the cluster strength in the state, which could unlock its regional competitiveness. Low proportion of businesses with importer-exporter code implies that many manufacturers do not export, which hinders the growth of the region, and the state. Measures to encourage businesses to export by building their capacity and establishing institutions like certification agencies in the state can be the future steps taken by the state government to help it boost its exports,' read the report.